THE Internet is no longer a place to find bargain-basement
accommodation according to new research.
The Hotels and Internet 2002 study by accountancy and
business advisory service KPMG, found the average saving made on the Web is £3.75,
down from £12.50 in 2001.
The research found websites are increasingly considered as
“just another” booking channel offering little or no commercial incentive to
book on-line.
In addition, 55% of hotels had a consistent pricing policy
across the central reservations systems, websites and direct bookings. This
compares with just 18% in 2001.
KPMG Director of hospitality Nick Pattie said: “The ‘wow’
factor of booking on-line is diminishing. The industry must analyse if managing
on-line bookings brings any cost savings and whether it can capitalise any
revenue generation opportunities or if managing numerous booking channels, be
it online or off-line, is eroding potential e-savings for both the industry and
consumers alike.”
The survey did praise websites for making technical
improvements such as implementing customer relationship management and offering
users several languages.
KPMG surveyed 11 of the major hotel brands for the survey,
including Hilton, Holiday Inn and Thistle.